IAM, Boeing set
new safety standard
by Frank Miramontes, Local 18 President
Last month I had the opportunity to visit Seattle and meet with members of the Boeing Health and Safety Institute. I am convinced that the joint safety trust that Boeing and the International Association of Machinists have developed is a model that we can and should adopt at the DWP.
Working together, the AIM and Boeing management have developed a significant program that puts worker safety and training on a sound footing. The company and the workers of this major Seattle employer reap the benefits.
Successful initiatives promoted by the HSI (Boeing’s independent safety trust) include:
- A mobile training lab that provides hands-on safety training using situation simulators;
- A Return to Work project that helps ill or injured employees get back on the job;
- An Advanced Safety Training Program that emphasizes and standardizes safety training at the many Boeing divisions and facilities;
- Site Committees at major plant locations;
- A formal and independent incident investigation process.
In contrast, the DWP safety and training program is spotty and unreliable. It has its strengths and successes, of course. The vigorous ergonomics training program, for example, is excellent. But the programs come and go with the whims of management, and sometimes they are counterproductive. The safety award program, or one. Everybody likes to get the free gifts, but the process may actually discourage reporting and tracking of incidents, which is the heart of a meaningful safety program. We want a system that encourages rather than penalizes reporting incidents that should be analyzed and addressed.
Independence is the key to the IAM/Boeing HSI success. It is funded by the company but functions outside of the corporate structure. (It is interesting to note that while developing a deep and efficient safety and training program, the trust has never exceeded its budget.)
Over the last few years, we have experienced many benefits from the joint labor/management process that has evolved in the DWP. We have found that, given a context for genuine cooperation, management and rank and file union members have been able to identify and promote common goals. The process has benefited both the department and the work force. The development of an independent safety and training trust is the next logical step in this process.